DURHAM BULL— CHICAGO DUKE. 



Roan in Color. Calved 10th November, 1857. 



Bred by R. Aitcheson Alexander, of Woodford county, Kentucky. 



The Property of Hon. John Wentworth, of Chicago, Hlinois. 



Sired by Imported DUKE OF AIRDRIE, (12,730,) son of Duke of Glostcr, (11,382.) 



sowing has been correctly given in the 

 Farmer, and other agricultural papers, 

 viz: thorough scalding and soaking for 

 12 or 24 hours. But most persona are 

 afraid to scald the seed thoroughly 

 enough, lest it should destroy its vitali- 

 ty. It does seem a little strange that 

 boiling water shoul be beneficial, and 

 yet nothing less will suffice in this case. 

 In fact the seed may be actually boiled 

 for half a minute, or longer, without de- 

 stroying its vitality. The common error 

 with those who know that boiling water 

 is required, is in not pouring on suflfi- 

 cient water to retain the heat long enough 

 to secure the softening of the seed. My 

 rule is, for a pint or less of seed, use 

 two quarts of water, pour it into a tin 

 vessel, 80 as not to cool too rapidly; and 

 for a larger amount, use not less than 

 six or eight times as much water as seed; 

 let stand over night, and if sufficiently 

 scalded the seed will have swollen to 

 three or four times their former size; but 

 if the scalding was thoroughly done, only 

 a portion of the seeds — those which were 

 less perfectly ripened — will be swollen, 

 and these must be separated by stirring 

 in water and floating them off, as being 

 lighter can easily be done; then the re- 

 mainder can be again scalded. After 

 the seeds are thus swollen they may be 

 planted immediately, and will vegetate 

 as quickly as peas or corn. 



M. B. Bateham. 

 Columbus, Ohio. 



Poisonous Plants of Ohio. 



White Snake Root — Jiupatorium ageratoides — WUld. Fami- 

 ly COMPOalT^. 



It is with considerable doubt that we 

 place the White Snake Root in the list 

 of poisonous plants. The only reason 

 for so doing, being the experiment of 

 several parties, principally in this State, 

 who having fed the plant to cattle and 

 horses, the disease called milk sickness 

 or trembles appeared to be produced 

 thereby. For an account of these expe- 

 riments, see Ohio Agricultural Report 

 for 1858, page 670; and Ohio Farmer, 

 Vol. 5, page 183. Mr. Vermilya, 

 in these cases, satisfied himself and 

 others that this White Snake Root 

 really produced this much dreaded dis- 

 ease. The genus JSupatorium is almost 

 confined to America; and milk sickness 

 is entirely or almost unknown, except in 

 the northern portion of the Mississippi 

 Valley and the basins of the great lakes, 

 and this is the region in which the ager- 

 atoides is found. The plant naturally 

 grows In rich, moist woods; but will also 

 spring up and bloom freely in any good 

 garden soil partly shaded, without any 

 care, and is apt to become a mere weed. 

 It has considerable beauty, and is often 

 used in making up boquets. The flowers 

 are snow white. 



Description. — Heads 3 to 30 flower- 

 ed; corymbs compound; scales of the in- 

 volucre nearly equal, and in one row; 

 leaves opposite, broadly ovate, pointed, 

 long petoiled, triple nerved and veiny, 



not resinous dotted, coarsely 

 and sharplytoothed. Height 

 about three feet, branching 

 and smooth; herbaceous, root 

 perennial. 



Some writers have asserted 

 that milk sickness never at- 

 tacks animals that are well 

 fed; and if this is the case, it is 

 good evidence that the disease 

 is caused by the eating of 

 some peculiar food, not par- 

 taken of when feed is abund- 

 ant; and this is the case with 

 the White Snake Root, the 

 cattle never eating it, unless 

 compelled by hunger. Other 

 plants^than this may produce 

 the disease, and it may also 

 result from other causes; but if 

 feeding on this plant is inju- 

 rious to stock then there is 

 good reason for preventing 

 them from eating it at any 

 period; and care should be ta- 

 ken to eradicate it from the 

 lands where they pasture. As 

 woods are cleared away, this 

 plant will become rare, for it 

 is never to be found growing 

 in meadows. 



All the species of this genus 

 have more or less medicinal 



properties. The ^. aromaticum is 

 also called White Snake Root, 

 and is sold as such in the shops, E. 

 perfoiliatum — boneset — is in common 

 use among home simples, but unlike 

 many others its possesses strong medic- 

 inal powers. That plants possessing 

 such properties should produce disease, 

 when taken in large quantity, is not sur- 

 prising. 



The habitat of the IE. ageratoides is in 

 all moist woods throughout the State; — 

 plentiful around Cleveland, on the Cuy- 

 ahoga bottoms. — [Ohio Farmer. 



We publish the above for the purpose 

 of calling the attention of those of our 

 farmers who reside in the vicinity of this 

 terrible malady. There is strong plaus- 

 ibility that this is the plant that does the 

 mischief. Ed. 



<••— 



Care of Ilonseplants. 

 Keep the plants free from dust by 

 syringing the leaves and stems. Avoid 

 too much watering, especially of plants 

 not flowering. The water should pass 

 through the soil, else it is not sufficient- 

 ly porous or lacks drainage. Water 

 should be of the same temperature as 

 the room and given in the morning, and 

 should not be allowed to stand in the 

 saucers. Endeavor to keep the room of 

 regular temperature — about 65® which 

 is a healthy temperature for humans as 

 well as vegetables. This refers to the 



